Buckle up: Nightreign’s ‘The Deep of Night’ game mode explained, and it’s no joke

With the excitement around Elden Ring: Nightreign still very much alive, Bandai Namco and FromSoftware are adding an extra layer of challenge with the arrival of ‘The Deep Night,’ a new high-difficulty mode launching on September 11.

Specifically, Bandai Namco announced the update in late August, describing it as a “high-difficulty expedition mode (…) designed for seasoned players who have navigated through the Night many times,” according to the announcement from August 28.

As the team said on X:

“A crimson malice stirs within the lightless abyss, its raw rage seeping into your foes. The Deep of Night, a new high difficulty mode for seasoned Nightfarers, descends on September 11, 2025.”

What to Expect in ‘The Deep of Night’

In ‘The Deep of Night,’ enemies are significantly stronger, making each encounter more punishing. Unlike other expeditions, players won’t be able to choose their target Nightlord, and ongoing terrain changes are not carried over. Instead, the mode emphasizes adaptability and endurance, with every descent pushing players into tougher scenarios.

That said, special rewards are also on the table. Players can obtain exclusive items like Depths Relics and weapons with powerful bonuses and harmful drawbacks, adding a layer of risk-versus-reward decision-making. The deeper the descent, the harsher the challenges become. Ratings fluctuate based on wins and losses, determining just how far players can progress.

Meanwhile, Bandai Namco has even teased that reaching Depth 3 is a major achievement in itself, while Depths 4 and 5 offer endless battles for those seeking truly extreme difficulty.

The new mode will be available shortly after the deployment of Patch 1.02.2, which goes live during a one-hour maintenance window on September 10, 2025 (01:00 PDT / 10:00 CEST / 17:00 JST). The Deep of Night unlocks later that day at 18:30 PDT (Sept. 10) / 3:30 CEST / 10:30 JST (Sept. 11).

Beyond the new gameplay challenge, fans can also look forward to the release of the official Nightreign soundtrack on September 16, 2025, which FromSoftware describes as a hymn to battles fought in the darkened world of the expansion.

With The Deep of Night, Nightreign continues to evolve into an even more unforgiving journey, giving veteran Tarnished and Nightfarers alike a fresh reason to test their mettle in the shadow of the Erdtree.

Check out Nightreign’s ‘The Deep of Night’ run by CrudFrog: